We need this daily

Do you feel like you know what to do but just always fail to do it?

To wake up early, or study hard, or be disciplined, or control your anger, or be kind, or cherish your loved ones. You promise yourself this time will be different; you will really change. But you break your promises—to yourself, no less—again and again and again.

Well, you aren’t alone. Even back in the 18th century, Dr. Samuel Johnson observed that capable people, those who know right from wrong better than anyone, often fail to live by it. Johnson himself was one of the most influential thinkers of 18th-century England—so much so that the late 18th century is often called the Age of Johnson. Largely by himself, he wrote A Dictionary of the English Language, which remained the standard until the Oxford English Dictionary was completed 173 years later.

Yet, he was no different. He frequently wrote down resolutions to wake up earlier and study hard, only to break them repeatedly.

On 24 March 1750, in the second issue of The Rambler, his twice-weekly essays, Johnson noted, “Men more frequently require to be reminded than informed.”

We generally know what we ought to do or value. To have integrity, to improve ourselves, to help others, to make good use of our time. But we often forget and fail to act in the right way. It isn’t that we don’t know what to do. Or that we need to be told how to do it. We just need to be reminded. A simple reminder is enough to inspire the right action.

This is why I’m starting this series of daily letters on practical wisdom, pulling lessons from philosophers, world leaders, athletes, and more. Again, it isn’t that we don’t know how to act and live. But in the midst of our busy schedules, never-ending work, and daily life demands, we forget. We slip. These letters serve as constant reminders for us to live well, work on ourselves, and help others.

I’m writing these for myself as much as for others because I recognize I’m as fallible as anyone. If you wish to learn together—or be reminded together—subscribe to get these letters in your inbox.